"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eats with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended or is made weak." Romans 14v19-21
The apostle has now made clear that the kingdom of God is not based on relative trivia, or built upon points- scoring. It is much more fundamental than that. Jesus had occasion to chide the Pharisees with their spiritual nit- picking when he says in Matthew 23v23 "you have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy, and faith." The prophet Micah in chapter 6v8 said "What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God." These are the things that should be taking up our attention and not matters of conscience which are sometimes undefinable. In the next two verses Paul uses the imagery of construction to clarify what he is saying. "Follow after the things wherewith one may edify another." verse 19. In the next verse 20 he says "for meat destroy no the work of God." In other words build up, don't pull down. It is much easier to demolish a work than it is to build it up. We are being encouraged here to promote edification and not destruction.
Paul says in 1st Corinthians 14v26 "Let all things be done unto edifying." In Ephesians chapter 4v 11-12 he says that the gifts were given to the church by the risen Christ "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Thus the focus is to be an active building up. We are to pursue the things that make for peace and things wherewith we may edify each other. This means we will always be looking to enhance our brethren and not to be pulling them down. The history of the Christian church is littered with examples of believers who are zealous of a multitude of non essentials to the extent of the breaking up of the essential unity of believers. Paul says, do not use your liberty as a means of one- upmanship, to make light of someone or to bring them down. This is the work of God, and He is doing a work in each individual life and we must not hamper that work.
He reiterates in a positive way what he said in verse 14; now he says "all things are pure" that is as long as the conscience is clear while participating. But there is not in every man that knowledge or clear conscience and I should defer to his weakness so as not to harm his faith. If that means, says Paul, I do not eat flesh, nor drink wine, nor do anything whereby another stumbles then I have to be prepared to do that without in anyway feeling that I am superior.
The conclusion of the matter is given in verses 22-23. " Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in the thing that he allows." Before God to decide what is acceptable to me and the Lord, always with an eye on what effect it might have on another. To those who have scruples (the word doubteth is elsewhere rendered "maketh a difference") is condemned (in his conscience) if he eat; because he does not eat out of faith. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. In our studies we have already seen that "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God." The fact is that not everyone sees the same in the minor matters of God's word and judge them differently. Everyone must be allowed to make up their own mind before God, reading His word, and this must be the way forward. Anything I practice which offends my inner conscience will damage my fellowship with God and hamper my Christian growth. Those who are strong should not be engaging in this. The motto of the Moravian Church would be relevant here; "In essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things love".
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